Clara Calamai (Prato, Italy, 7 September 1909 - Rimini, Italy, 21 September 1998) was an Italian actress.

She was one of the most famous and popular Italian actresses in the 1930s and 40s, sharing the limelight with actresses such as Alida Valli, Valentina Cortese, and rivals, Doris Duranti, Luisa Ferida and Isa Miranda. She was a charming and versatile actress who starred in both dramas and comedies.

Career

Calamai's first act role was in the 1938 war film Pietro Micca, directed by Aldo Vergano.

In La cena delle beffe (Dinner of fun, 1941, an adaptation of a Sem Benelli's work, directed by Alessandro Blasetti) Calamai made a sensation by appearing in a very brief topless scene. The scene is commonly credited with being the first time that a woman had appeared topless in an Italian film, though the credit has been claimed by Vittoria Carpi who appeared topless for only a moment in the 1940 film La corona di ferro (The Iron Crown), also directed by Blasetti. Nevertheless, many people reportedly saw the movie many times because of the topless scene.

But her most remembered film was Luchino Visconti's Ossessione (1943), in which she played Giovanna, the ill-fated female lead.

Calamai was offered the role in L'adultera (The Adultress, 1946, directed by Duilio Coletti), after Anna Magnani had to turn it down, and Calamai won the Nastro d'Argento as best actress for her role in it.

She played a prostitute in Luchino Visconti's Le notti bianche (1957) and appeared in Le streghe (1967).

After years of retirement, she returned in 1975 to appear in the classic horror film Profondo rosso ('Deep Red, directed by Dario Argento) as the eccentric matriarch, Marta.

Personal life

On 19 May 1945 she married explorer, documentary and film maker Count Leonardo Bonzi and they had two daughters. The marriage was annulled in November 1959, and she lived with Captain of Aviation Valerio Andreoli.

Filmography